The Mystery of Chloe B
by ArollaPine
Summary: It's Chloe Bourgeois' 15. Birthday. And that day she receives a letter from her mother, who left her many years ago. The letter that will change all her life.
1. The letter

**Before we start…**

This story was written a way before we met Audrey Bourgeois in the show. My version of Audrey is quite different that the original one. I wrote this story, because I wanted to find an explanation why Chloe is so selfish and mean. The direct inspiration came from "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, from which I borrowed the idea of engagement in cradles…

Have fun!

LK.

x x x

It was a beautiful day. Even the weather was perfect, as if Chloe Bourgeois ordered it personally. The sun wouldn't dare hide behind the clouds on her birthday. Oh, never! It must shine in the sky so that the golden child, the most important teenage girl in Paris would have a good birthday!

That day Chloe not only was showered with presents from her daddy, but she got also a special letter. The letter was delivered by a dispatch runner to be handed personally to Chloe. She just looked at the envelope and felt suddenly that she needed to read it in private. She excused her father and the butler, and she ran out of the room.

The letter was addressed by her mother's hand.

She hugged the letter close to her heart, and for the whole way to her room she was wondering what it could mean. Did mom send it today for a reason? Did it mean she was in Paris? As soon as Chloe reached her room, she ripped open the envelope and read the letter:

_My dearest Chloe,_

_If you are reading this letter, it means that I have found a courage to take this step towards the precipice I couldn't have done for years._

_You must know that it's not easy for me to make this decision. Actually… I'm still hesitating. You must know that I love you very much, though maybe I haven't expressed it in the way you deserve. However, I can't let this happen to me. I can't be a victim like my dearest friend, Emilie Agreste. One day you will understand that, darling. My free spirit doesn't fit to the framework that your father and social standards have dictated. There are so many expectations for a wife of a man of high standing. Where is the place for me in all this? Me as me?_

_I don't know where this path, I've decided to follow, will lead me. I can't put you to inconvenience, because I won't be able to give you all the comfort you deserve._

_I hope you've found someone with whom you have bonded friendship as strong as I had with Emilie. Such friendship is a treasure for life. Emilie and I had even a little dream that maybe one day we would become a family… We joked that we should engage you and her son, Adrien when you were babies in cradles, as it used to be done in royal families. Such friendship is priceless, my darling._

_I love you,_

_Mom_

_P.S. You are to receive this letter on your 15__th__ birthday. I wish you all the best, my dearest. Be good for the others and they will be good for you._

That's all. Not much but still too much. Chloe was standing, leaning against the door, and tears were running down her cheeks.


	2. Invitation

The limousine was passing the streets of Paris, and Chloe was still thinking about the letter she had received this morning. At first, just when she finished reading it, she felt so strong longing for her mother. Now, she felt mainly the anger. The anger at her mother for leaving her, for choosing the independence, for abandoning her – the dearest daughter, whom she supposedly loved so much…

"Happy birthday, Chloe!" Sabrina exclaimed as soon as the mayor's daughter left the limo.

Chloe smiled with superiority and – as always – she graciously let Sabrina hug her. Oh, Sabrina was so predictable! Well… Better such a friend than none. Maybe it wasn't this kind of friendship that her mother was writing about, but Chloe deadened quickly that thought. She wasn't going to care about all that sentimental nonsense! What was her mother thinking? She had had everything you could ever imagine! EVERYTHING! Daddy would make all her dreams come true! What did it mean: _"a place for me as me"_? Did she have her own ambitions? Passions? Bah! Nothing – literally NOTHING! – would make Chloe leave her perfect life in prosperity!

"_Really nothing?"_ a little voice from the deepest parts of her soul asked innocently.

Chloe snorted angrily. She wasn't going to listen her awakened conscience!

"You… You're not happy?" Sabrina asked, startled, staring at Chloe with those big eyes behind big glasses.

"Oh, it's OK, Sabrina…" Chloe replied contemptuously, irritated a bit that her feelings were so visible at her face. "Of course, I am happy."

"Hi, Chloe!" she heard right next to her. She recognised the voice immediately. Adrien! She forgot about Sabrina at once.

"Adriekiins!" she exclaimed happily and threw her arms around his neck. And he moved back, as always.

"I've heard today is your birthday. Best wishes, Chloe!"

"Oh, thanks! You know what? I've been thinking about a birthday party. Do you remember that party I organised once at the Grand Paris Hotel?"

"Of course, I do. That was the party impossible to forget…"

"What do you mean?" Chloe frowned.

"You know… That whole situation with superheroes…"

"Ah, right. I'm not sure if you remember, but _I helped_ them very much. I'd say that _I am_ a superhero who doesn't need the special costume."

Adrien laughed and wriggled out of an answer. He looked like he was to leave, and Chloe wanted to keep him around her at all costs. So, she blurted:

"What would you say if I do this again? Would you come?"

"Are you going to invite all the colleagues again?" he asked suddenly interested.

"I'm not sure if all of them. There are some people I really can't stand!"

"Chloe… You promised…" he sighed.

"But it's impossible to like everyone!" She rolled her eyes. "Even that namby-pamby Marinette Clumsy-Cheng doesn't like everyone. Even though all people think that she likes everyone."

"Marinette doesn't like someone?" Adrien asked in surprise.

"Well, _me_?"

"Chloe, Chloe…" Adrien sighed, and looked at her meaningful.

Oh, right. He would tell her now that there was a reason of that. Chloe glanced at Adrien sideways. He didn't say a word, but he smiled in a way as if he knew that she figured it out. She felt irritation. Why her feelings were so apparent today? And why she hated Marinette so much?

"Talking of the devil…" Adrien whispered and waved towards Marinette who was just passing them by, with Alya, of course. "Hey there!" he greeted. Chloe snorted irritably. They were always so inseparable!

"Hi!" Alya smiled, but she smiled at Adrien, not at Chloe…

"Hello…" Marinette mumbled shyly. She looked like she was going to run away.

"Have you heard that today is Chloe's birthday?" Adrien continued.

Marinette and Alya stopped halfway.

"Happy birthday, Chloe!" they said simultaneously and looked at each other amused.

They burst out laughing, but Chloe wasn't so amused by this joke. In addition, she was irritated by Adrien, who didn't understand her intentions and instead of spending time with her, he invited ordinary people to their company!

Oh, she wanted to kill someone! Meanwhile, Adrien was framing her more and more, because he just revealed:

"Chloe is organising her birthday party. I think all of us will be invited, right Chloe?"

"Oh, I haven't talked to my daddy yet, Adrien!" Chloe denied.

"But you said…" Adrien tried again.

"Isn't it obvious?" Alya rolled her eyes. "The party will be only for the elite, right Chloe?"

What a slander! How dared she?! Well, she was right, of course, but Adrien didn't have to know that! Chloe preferred not to be called a conceited snob! Especially in front of Adrien! Oh no, she had to pretend to be a heroine! She couldn't let those little "foxes" make her the evil one.

"The more the merrier!" she said finally, surprised by her own tone of voice which was quite cheerful. "I'll call papa right now. He never says 'no' to me… So, see you at seven!"

And she left them to call her father and to start organising the birthday party. Of course, it was a formality, her father would agree on her every idea, even the wildest. And hiring the best event organisers was for Chloe Bourgeois as easy as breathing. The worst part was… inviting all those people… Ugh… How to overcome that reluctance… She had done it once. She could do it again…


	3. Birthday party

It was nearly seven in the evening, and the lobby at the Grand Paris hotel looked exactly as Chloe had planned. Everything was in place. Everything was perfect.

Except Chloe.

Chloe felt that something was wrong. She didn't feel the excitement typical in waiting for something nice. She didn't feel nervousness typical in waiting for something unpleasant as well. In fact, she didn't feel anything…

How was that possible? What had changed? Was it possible that she was still affected by her mother's letter? But what was there? Impatiently, she took the paper from her pocket and read it again. She felt irritation at the same moments as in the morning! Suddenly… She found something interesting in the content. Wait a minute… Her mother and Adrien's mother wanted them to be together? That their families would become one family? They wanted to get them engaged in cradles? Oh, that was wonderful news, indeed! The best gift ever!

Chloe immediately brightened up and she already could see in her mind's eyes the scene when she would inform Adrien about the letter!

As soon as she saw him that evening, she came running to him and flung her arms around his neck. She didn't care about his company – he came with Nino, Alya and Marinette, all of them always connected like a chain. She didn't care, because she had news for Adrien!

"Adriekiins! You won't believe it!"

"I'm sure I won't…" he laughed in reply.

"I couldn't wait for you to come! I must tell you that! You won't believe it!"

"You've already said that. What happened?"

"My mother sent me a letter!"

"Your mom's back?" Adrien asked in surprise.

"No. She wrote that letter some time ago and it was to be delivered on my fifteenth birthday. And today I received it! You can't guess what was in it!"

"I'm not even going to try!" Adrien laughed, and Nino and Alya exchanged quick glances.

"It turns out that our mothers were friends!" she informed him happily.

"Oh, that's surprising, indeed…" he muttered carefully, having no idea what Chloe was up to.

"And they were really close friends! Soulmates. They even had a plan to…" she stopped for a better effect and finished with a wide smile: "No, not a plan… Even better! They got us engaged in cradles!"

"Wh-what?!" Adrien exclaimed in shock.

"They got us engaged in cradles." Chloe repeated happily.

She didn't mention that she added a few details to this story and concealed the other ones – like that mothers only had had a naïve dream of their children's marriage.

"Women lose their heads over cradles." Nino commented. "I won't let you buy such a thing, remember Alya!"

Alya glanced at him in surprise, then suddenly burst out laughing. Chloe looked at them disgusted. Why did they cut in the conversation with Adrien?!

x x x

Marinette stood in the corner with Alya and watched Chloe flirting with Adrien. She felt growing frustration. She couldn't compete with the will of Chloe's mother. From the very beginning she had known that there was no chance to win Adrien's heart – he was always out of her league. But now, with that support given by her mother, Chloe left Marinette far behind in the race for Adrien's love.

"Don't give up, girl!" Alya tried to comfort her friend. "He won't be suddenly attracted to her!"

"I'm not sure…" Marinette sighed hopeless. "You know that his mother has been very important to him. And now he found out that she had planned who should be his wife. Don't you get it? His mom gave Chloe her blessing!"

"It's ridiculous!" Alya snorted. "Remember _Pride and prejudice_?"

"What?" Marinette asked in astonishment.

"_Pride and prejudice_." Alya repeated patiently. "Darcy's mother also got her son engaged in a cradle with her cousin's or sister's daughter… You know… That crazy Lady Catherine de Bourgh…"

"Maybe…" Marinette shrugged.

"And he chose Elisabeth Bennet anyway."

"Because he loved her?"

"Yeah! So? What are you waiting for? Do your job, Lizzie!"

Marinette only shook her head. No way, not after everything that had happened… However, Alya looked like she wasn't kidding. She rolled her eyes at Marinette's reaction. Then she sighed and said:

"Your charming personality has to beat Chloe's points for origin. Girl, don't you see that you have a chance? All you have to do is to believe in yourself! You've already achieved so much! You can talk to Adrien almost without that stuttering. Now just enchant him! Believe me, you have everything you need."

"I don't know, Alya…" Marinette whispered still staring at Adrien talking to Chloe.

"You're looking at them and you don't see the obvious!"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on! He's not attracted to her, and she's not in love with him. She wants him because he's someone like… you know… top of the top. Crème de la crème. Got it?"

"Do you know expressions in the other languages?"

"Leave your spiteful remarks for Chloe, OK?" Alya admonished her. "Take my hints and draw the correct conclusions! And get to work, because your Darcy is waiting. And time is running out…"

"But… What should I do?" Marinette asked hopelessly.

"Pull yourself together!" Alya replied irritably. "Don't you remember when you were dancing here last time? Just go there and ask him to dance with you."

"Have you lost your mind?! Not after what happened!"

"Oh, he's coming!" Alya whispered wildly and Marinette became nervous immediately.

"Please, help me!" Adrien said approaching.

"What happened? Chloe already bought you a wedding suit?" Alya joked.

He blushed. Marinette glanced at him quickly and immediately cast eyes down.

"It's not funny, Alya." He replied seriously. "I have no idea what happened to her."

"It's obvious!" Alya snorted. "It looks like she decided that you'd be her husband."

"But she's not even in love with me!" he was surprised.

"How do you know that?" Marinette asked quietly.

"Who's talking about love?" Alya laughed.

Adrien looked from Alya to Marinette and back, surprised. As if he didn't know to whom he should answer first. Finally, he concluded that Alya's question was more intriguing.

"You know, I'd prefer to marry a girl I love. And who loves me back."

"Thank God, half of the Paris female population is in love with you, so you won't have a problem to find such a wife…" Alya summed up.

"They're in love with a popular model." He muttered reluctantly.

"That one you are, by the way…"

"It's just a façade." He winced.

"I'm trying to explain you that for most of girls this is not a problem, that's all. And it can be enough for the beginning. All you have to do is to choose."

"Alya, Alya… Love is not about appearances! And Chloe acts like only they count…"

"But how do you know she doesn't really love you?" Alya repeated Marinette's question that was still unanswered.

"Chloe is like a sister to me." He confessed. "Besides, when she looks at me she doesn't have in her eyes that something…" he hesitated and finished awkwardly, after a glance at Marinette: "… she should have."

"Yhm…" Alya murmured with understanding. She understood more than Adrien wanted to say.

"I think you should talk to her." Marinette said suddenly, still staring at her feet.

"You think I haven't tried?" he sighed. "She doesn't listen…"

"Right. Today it's hopeless." Marinette replied, glanced at him briefly. "She's too excited about the letter from her mother. I think she might be deaf to any arguments."

"You're right." Adrien nodded. "But she's not blind. Come on, let's dance!"

And before Marinette realised what was happening, he took her to the dancefloor.


	4. The Intruder

Chloe had a feeling that she would explode soon. She wanted to leave her own birthday party! What the hell was going on here?!

She was watching Adrien leading Marinette to the dancefloor. Her eyes narrowed ominously when she heard a rock ballad and saw that Adrien embraced Marinette to dance with her. She glanced quickly at the DJ and felt growing irritation. Of course! There must have been Nino! Did everyone have to try to match these two?! Really? That was ridiculous! It looked like a huge misunderstanding!

Suddenly, with astonishment, she discovered that she felt nothing more than anger. She wasn't jealous. That was quite amazing discovery, because until now she had been convinced that she was in love with Adrien. Meanwhile, she missed the basic feeling in a situation when the boy of your life danced with another girl – the jealousy…

But there was something _else_ that Chloe didn't realise at first, and yet it was a hint of her conscience. That she had stretched the truth for her own purposes. And now the letter, she had used to corner Adrien, was burning a hole in her pocket. Just as sudden remorse burned holes in her heart. Chloe didn't like holes. Neither in clothes nor in her heart.

She felt oddly again. She knew she had done something bad, but she couldn't understand why it hurt her. What was happening to her? It seemed to her that the whole world turned upside down. Pigs could fly as well.

It was as if the letter from her mother had woken a forgotten part of her soul. As if – a long time ago – abandoned Chloe had closed a door to her real emotions and threw away the key. And today the key was found by accident and opened the door back. Wasn't it like opening Pandora's box?

Standing on the balcony, watching the dancers, she tried to shut the unfortunate door, but unsuccessfully.

"Is it really so hard for you?" she heard a low, deep voice just next to her.

She scowled at the intruder. He was none of her classmates. Tall, dark-haired with dark complexion and deep blue eyes. He had half-long ruffled hair that Chloe hated. It was too messy for her standard, although she had to admit that he was handsome. She denied to herself immediately, of course.

"It's none of your business!" she snorted to dismiss him. She wouldn't let a stranger get familiar with her!

"But it breaks my heart seeing such a despairing girl."

"So, make a tartar steak of it then!" she snarled. "And besides, I'm not despairing!"

"You're not?" he asked surprised. Or only pretended to be surprised.

"Imagine that I'm only angry."

"Ah, angry… Typical for birthdays. Wrong gifts and that damned additional candle on the cake…"

"Can you leave?"

"But I can't." he grinned.

"I'll call the security! Or daddy." She warned.

"Ah, right. Your dad…" he sighed with a smile. "Scourge of all Chloe B.'s admirers."

"Do you have a problem?!" she lost control. What did he want from her?

"Well, actually I do."

"So, go away, solve it and leave me alone."

"Impossible." He shook his head still with this smile. "If I go, I won't solve my problem."

"That's not my problem." She shrugged.

"It may be a little bit yours. You see, Chloe… If you care about your guests, you should cheer up."

"What a nonsense!" she exclaimed.

"You don't want to meet a little dark butterfly, do you?" he winked to her.

"You mean… the akuma?" she whispered and looked around with fear.

"I've heard they like negative emotions."

"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Not Hawkmoth, if you ask about this." He winked again.

"Cat Noir?"

"Nope, again. I don't have any super-powers."

"Pshaw! I don't care." She shrugged and turned away. She looked again at her classmates dancing. Was it an illusion or Adrien hugged Marinette tighter?

"I see you want to dance." The stranger didn't give up.

"Can't you see I'm trying to give you to understand that you should leave?!" she said irritably.

"But I can't leave you like that."

"Oh, come on! No one, except you, has insisted on making me feel better." She murmured and added quickly: "And that was fine."

"_Really? Was it?_" again that little voice of her awakened conscience asked in her head.

"Really? Was it?" the dark-haired intruder asked aloud.

Chloe looked at him in amazement. Could her conscience become human? Oh, come on! Let's not get into paranoia!

"OK. Let's say you're right. It wasn't." she confessed, and she was surprised that she said it loudly. And in front of the stranger! "What do you want?" she asked frankly.

"Dance with you." He answered frankly as well.

"If I agree, will you leave me alone?"

"I can't promise." He smiled.

"You're unbearable." She sighed irritably. "But OK. So be it. Otherwise you would probably niggle me all the evening."

And she let him take her to the dancefloor.


	5. Mysterious J

The next morning Chloe still couldn't believe that she had been dancing with one boy for the whole evening! In addition, with the stranger! She didn't want to admit it aloud – even in secret it didn't come easy to her – that she had had really great time with him.

It turned out that he danced perfectly. As the expert of many areas of life – oh, not to say that almost all of them – she could say with a hundred percent certainty that he had had to take dance lessons. Dancing with him, she felt as light as a feather. And she was quite picky when it came to dance partners. But she always said that her daddy had spent too much money on her dance lessons in the best schools and with the best teachers, to waste her time with Neanderthals like Kim!

Yesterday when all guests had left, she was surprised to find out that she didn't even know the name of her partner. He hadn't told her anything about himself, though they were talking all the time. How was that possible?

She snorted with frustration into the pillow. She planned to spend as much time in her bed as she wanted, as it was Saturday and she had nothing special to do. In the afternoon Sabrina would probably come with homework – already done for Chloe, of course. Yes, life went on. The best thing Chloe should do right now was to forget about yesterday.

With this resolution she finally got up. She quickly dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. It was like nothing had happened yesterday. Chloe had great skills at drowning out unwanted thoughts. This day, however, nothing worked. Sitting over a croissant, Chloe was still thinking about the mysterious boy. And that was throwing her off the balance.

She began wondering how he had got to her party. After all, she invited only her classmates, and that boy certainly didn't go to her class. He didn't even go to her school! She would definitely notice him! So, how had he got an invitation? How did he managed to come in? The security wouldn't let him in if he didn't have the invitation!

Secondly, she analysed their conversation and concluded that she unwillingly let him get too close to her. In fact, if he wasn't such a good dancer, she would get rid of him just after their first dance. And how did he make her forget about all that anger and frustration? She even stopped paying attention to Marinette and Adrien's dancing. Except of seeing them leaving her party… wait! Together? Holding hands? Had it happened or was it her last night dream?

She was totally confused!

Instead of coming to any conclusions, she returned to her apartment with more questions without answers than before breakfast. Suddenly, she stopped frozen in front of her door. On the doorstep there was a red rose. And a ticket. She looked around carefully but didn't see anyone. She bent slowly and picked up the flower and the piece of paper. She could read: "_Thank you for a wonderful evening. J._" and she blushed. Probably for the first time in her life…

x x x

So, his name started with "J". She didn't know any Jays. The only "J." that came to her mind was the famous rocker Jagged Stone, who certainly didn't have anything in common with the boy from her birthday party.

It was Sunday afternoon. Chloe was sitting on the terrace, relaxing in the sun. The rose, she had got yesterday in such a mysterious way, stood in the vase on the dresser. The thank-you ticket was tucked into a drawer, where Chloe kept the most important treasures. Yesterday she read this short letter a thousand times, and every time she did it, she felt a strange sensation in her stomach.

There was something romantic about giving her a rose, and Chloe for the first time didn't want to drown out that memory. On the contrary, she allowed herself making a rather bold assumption that this mysterious boy might have some kind feelings to her. And she wouldn't even mind allowing him to show them. It wasn't about _her_ feelings, of course! Well, she could eventually admit he was objectively handsome. Oh, and he danced perfectly. Well, OK… He had the ability to entertain her with a conversation, so that she didn't even notice when the party was over. Right. But there was no way she could fall in love with him. Since she didn't even – EVEN! – fall in love with Adrien, there was no man in the world who could win her heart!

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted by a noise coming from the street. Annoyed, she got up and approached to the railing to see who caused that noise and to call papa to deal with that. She looked down and froze. It was him! Her "J."! No, not "her"! Just "J."! What he was doing here?

She watched as he dismounted from the scooter and came up with a package to the door. She couldn't hear the words, but she could guess he had a package for someone. After a while he got back on the scooter and left the hotel. She sighed in disappointment. "J." was a dispatch runner. The ordinary dispatch runner!

No wonder he managed to get in her birthday party! If he was constantly on the route to the Grand Paris hotel, the security knew him well. He passed them without any problems both before the party and yesterday with the rose for her. She snorted with irritation. She let him deceive her! Oh, and this rose!

And think that she almost… almost… Oh, that was unbearable! What a disappointment! No wonder he was picking up her! It must have been a great honour for him to dance with Chloe Bourgeois herself! And she let him do it for the whole evening! God, when people found out that she was dancing with a messenger, she'd be finished at school and even in the city!

She went back to the room and looked at the rose with fury. She wanted to tear it apart! But she refrained at the last moment. The flower was too beautiful to be destroyed in anger. Yet, she needed to ease these emotions somehow. She needed to leave! She took her jacket and a purse and ran to the door. At the same time someone knocked to the door, and Chloe stopped in surprise. She pulled the handle so suddenly that butler waiting outside almost had a heart attack.

"M-Miss Chloe, there is a parcel for you."

"Thank you, Jean-Jacques!" she replied and quickly took the package.

She closed the door so rapidly that the butler didn't even winked. She looked at the parcel – it had the size and colour as the box carried by "J." a minute before. She snorted like an angry cat. The dispatch runner! What a slander!

But the curiosity won. Chloe ripped open the paper and checked the box as quickly as possible. There was a letter lying on something that looked like… a wig? She took the letter carefully with two fingers, so as not to accidentally touch that… artificial hair.

_"Chloe,_

_I know you found the rose from me. I would like to apologise to you for the lack of manners. I realised that I didn't introduce myself. My name is Jerome. And I would like to explain a few things to you. Would you agree to meet me in the park tomorrow after school? I thought you might prefer to meet incognito. Hence the idea with a red wig. If you don't like it, treat it as a joke._

_But the invitation is for real._

_J."_

Damn it…

She still didn't know much more, except his name, and all her anger was gone. What should she think about all this now?!


	6. A meeting in a park

She decided to go. Without the wig. She disgusted touching artificial hair. Sure, if it was real hair, she would be disgusted too. Maybe even more. She wore big glasses to keep her incognito. She also dressed differently than usual. In a very rarely worn dress. Of course, she didn't dress up for him! Never! The idea was to make her look as unlike her as possible!

He was already waiting on the bench under the tree. He looked around nervously. It seemed that he wasn't so sure that she would come. She smiled under her breath. So, he wasn't so confident of himself as he posed!

"Hi!" she greeted at ease. "Jerome…"

"Hi, Chloe." He smiled and jumped up from the bench. "Yet you've come."

"I've come because I'm going to cut intruding upon me." She announced haughtily.

"I'm not intruding upon you." he answered quickly.

"And that rose came on its own to the threshold of my room?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well, I helped it a little. You're right." He admitted, but with a smile that Chloe felt that it would be quite difficult for her to play a role of a mean heiress.

"Such practices are called stalking." She said, trying her best not to lose her self-assurance.

"I'm not stalking you." He replied simply. "I didn't mean to offend or impose you. That's why I decided to send you a letter first. If you wanted to meet, you would come. If not, well, your decision. But I'd like you to know that I'm a friend, not an enemy, Chloe."

"OK then. Let's assume I believe you." She sighed and sat down next to him. "I don't have much time."

"Right, it's school tomorrow. You have homework to do."

"Pshaw! Sabrina will bring mine in the evening." Chloe shrugged lightly.

"Homework?" he asked to make sure if he understood correctly. "She does your homework?"

"She offered it herself. And I let her do it. That's what friends do. Right?"

"And you never wanted to do it by yourself?"

"What for?" she was surprised.

"Well… Maybe to learn something?"

"I have people to be informed about everything I need to know."

"And you've never wanted to know something just for yourself?"

"But what for?" she repeated.

"Uhm… To be able to talk to other people, have something to say, form your own opinion."

"Oh, everyone in this city knows my opinion on all possible topics!"

"Wouldn't you like to have something to say?"

"I don't understand you." She sighed irritably. "We _are_ talking. If I had to, I would know what I should say."

"But…" he hesitated. "You don't become broad-minded."

"You think I'm stupid?!" she shouted at him and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Not at all." He replied calmly, and Chloe once again noticed that he was the only one who didn't react on her moodiness. "But you will not always be the mayor's daughter. What will you talk about with your husband in the evenings? What will you teach your children?"

"It's none of your business what I'm going to do with my husband." She answered back.

"Maybe." He smiled. "But in spite of that all, it's important for me that you…"

"What someone like you knows about life of people like me?!" she interrupted. "You're _just_ a dispatch runner!"

"Just a dispatch runner…" he repeated slowly and then he looked her in the eye and said: "I can observe people. As a messenger I have this opportunity quite often. I can see some things. And the wheel of fortune rises and falls. I've already seen the rich who lost their assets in one day. I've also seen those who, despite wealth, don't despise other people. Sometimes they even show them respect and help. You know, Chloe… I think…" he hesitated.

"What do you think?" she asked him frankly.

"I think that if you weren't so hurt by your mom's leaving you would be a person from the second group I described."

Chloe glanced at him and quickly looked away. How did he guess it? Or rather – how dared he say it aloud? _Nobody_ was allowed to talk about her mother. And about any feelings associated with her leaving! Only why she couldn't take offense at him? Why, instead of tapping him and going away, she wanted to cry and be hugged by him. That he could comfort her. He – the ordinary dispatch runner. An observer of life of rich people.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" she asked in a strange voice to cover up feelings he had woken up by those words about her mother.

Again – her frankly question. Why couldn't she talk to him differently? But he apparently didn't care.

"About your mother's letter." He replied seriously.

"How do you know about it?!" she exclaimed leaping from the bench. Her eyes narrowed – she was furious.

"I delivered it personally." He exclaimed, again calmly like he wasn't afraid of her anger.

Chloe opened her eyes in surprise and sat down. At once, she forgot all the questions and arguments she had wanted to destroy him. She didn't remember him at all. Had that messenger really looked like him? She closed her eyes to recall that moment in her memory. But nothing. She couldn't see a face of the messenger who had delivered the letter.

"I… I don't remember you." She whispered.

"I'm not surprised." He smiled. "Most people I'm delivering letters don't pay attention who is a messenger. They wouldn't recognise me on the street even if I talked to them or… dance…"

"So, you did it on purpose?!" she hissed offended. "You wanted to prove something to me?!"

"No, of course not!" he denied immediately. "Are you crazy? Why would I do this?"

"To show me that I'm cold and selfish."

"I'm just trying to show you something completely opposite!"

"I don't believe you." She snorted. "You made fun of me!"

"Chloe… Don't say that. It's not true!" He assured her warmly and took her hand.

At first, she wanted to take her hand back, but at the same time she realised she didn't want to do that. What did it mean? What was happening to her? She was confused. She forgot about her anger again. This boy had a strange influence on her.

"What do you want to prove then?" she asked conciliatory, avoiding his eyes and ignoring the fact that he was still holding her hand.

"That you're sensitive." he answered simply – the same way she talked to him. Directly and to the point. No smart talk, circling around the subject, digression. And Chloe liked it.

"I'm not." She denied.

"But you are. And that's why you wanted to read this letter in private. And that's why you were sorry at your party. And that's why you agreed to dance with me."

"I agreed to dance with you, because you promised to leave me alone. You're not reliable."

"I didn't promise. I honestly warned you that if you agree to dance with me, I couldn't promise to go away."

"Oh, maybe. I might forget about it." She said casually, though it was an obvious lie. "I wasn't sorry at all! I told you that I was angry."

"You know, Chloe… I think that…" he hesitated.

"What do you think?" she urged him to finish the sentence.

"I think that this is the reason you're angry. I mean… When someone makes you upset, you turn it into anger."

"Are you a psychoanalyst?" she asked sarcastically.

"I'm sorry." He replied nonsense, squeezing her hand. Such a simple gesture and she again forgot about her anger.

"What? Why?" she asked surprised.

"I made you upset and you became angry at me."

"No way! Are you serious?" she laughed unpleasantly, hiding the whole typhoon of feelings that he woke up with this explanation.

"You were so hurt by your mother's leaving?" he asked.

She felt frightened that he came back to this. What was he trying to find? She jumped up from the bench and looked at him with cold fury saying:

"Don't you dare mention my mother ever again!"

After that she left. And she didn't look back.


	7. All his fault

It was the worst week in her life! Since that unfortunate meeting with Jerome in the park last Monday, Chloe couldn't find a place for herself. Everywhere was bad, everything hurt her, and the heart ached the most. This terrible organ that should be used only for pumping blood! It shouldn't hurt from such _stupid_ things!

Every day she was thinking about what Jerome had said to her in the park. Did she really get angry every time someone hurt her? Where would she get it from? Was Jerome right – that was because of mother had abandoned her?

She'd been returning to her letter many times throughout the week. She read it again and again. She analysed almost every word she already knew by heart. What had her mother run away from? What had happened to Emilie Agreste? After all, Chloe's mother left long time before Adrien's Mother's disappearance. Something must have happened much earlier. Maybe Emillie unbosomed herself to Audrey? Maybe not papa but Gabriel Agreste was her mother's threat?

No, definitely not… After all, she wrote it clearly that it had been daddy who restricted her. Daddy, social expectations and norms. And she wanted to be herself. Had she, Chloe, restricted her mother too? That question led Chloe to another part of the letter. What did it mean that her mother hadn't shown love? Chloe didn't remember the time spent with her mother that way. Mom always… she was always full of love for her!

Chloe felt a tear on her cheek. More and more longing squeezed her heart. Yes, now she remembered the moments she had spent with her mother. For so many years, she drowned out memories of the days when her mother had been reading her stories, playing with dolls with her, or just sitting without a word, stroking Chloe's hair.

Was Mom happy then? Was she doing this because it was demanded by the norms imposed on her? The role of a model mother?

Chloe felt her head would explode from all those thoughts and guesses. She couldn't put it together. Was it because she wasn't broad-minded? Damn it! Why she recalled those terrible Jerome's words right now?! He had told her so many unpleasant things on Monday!

It bothered her, because the quiet voice in her head kept repeating that the boy was right. Well, she had to admit – he was damn right… That made her angry even more. And when she remembered his questions about her mother, that made her furious. How had he dared?!

So how had he known he was delivering her a letter from her mother? The letter wasn't signed. Chloe recognised the sender by handwriting. Jerome couldn't know it. So, he would have to read it! He definitely hadn't done it. That would be breaking the law!

No, she couldn't understand it. But she also felt that she must explain the mystery, otherwise she would go crazy. It was all his fault. Jerome's!

The typhoon of feelings of all kinds blustered in her heart, and she was sitting with her mother's letter in her hands for an hour. Staring at the red rose, which had been still standing proudly in the vase on the dresser for a week…

x x x

On Saturday morning Chloe woke up with a strange feeling in her heart. She was exhausted after thinking of her mother's letter and of Jerome's words for the whole Friday afternoon. This night she'd dreamt about her mom who touched her cheek and said: "_Be good for the others and they will be good for you_".

Oh, it was definitely her subconscious reflecting the letter she had read for so many times yesterday! Chloe jumped up from the bed, determined to drown out those thoughts. She wished to live her life of a week ago. She wished she never got the letter from her mother. The letter that caused all those problems in her life.

And yet… Something changed in her – whether she wanted it or not. Against all logic and even against her wishes she called Sabrina right after the breakfast.

"Oh, hi, Chloe!" Sabrina picked up the phone after one signal.

"Hi, Sabrina! I've been thinking…" Chloe stopped suddenly, surprised by a strange impulse inside her that made her do things so unlike her. "I mean… I've been thinking about our homework…"

"I haven't done it yet." Sabrina replied quickly. "But if you want I can start now and bring you before lunch."

"No, no!" Chloe stopped her friend's talking. "I thought that maybe… Maybe we could meet and do homework together?"

There was a sudden silence in her phone. Sabrina was probably as surprised as Chloe herself.

"Sure!" Sabrina answered after a while. "When can I come?"

"At…" Chloe stopped and added again surprisingly to herself: "Whenever you want, Sabrina. I'm here for the whole day, so come at what time you prefer."

"I'll be in an hour. See you soon Chloe!"

"Bye."

Chloe hung up. She stared at her phone in amazement. What actually had happened? Weird… But Chloe felt extremely good. She felt warmth in her heart – and that was a nice feeling. For a moment she wondered how this doing homework would look like, because Sabrina always brought her all assignments already done, so Chloe even didn't know how to start.

Fortunately, she was in good hands. Sabrina was a professional. Not only she patiently explained all difficult issues, that Chloe didn't understand, but she also knew how to talk about the historical events to make them more interesting for the listener. She was able to colligate the historical facts and knew some titbits that changed the homework into a great fun. By the end of the day Chloe felt almost amused. And the warmth in her heart made her… happy?

Well… It seemed that the impulse she had followed this morning didn't disappoint her. It was right. Maybe it would be similar with the others? Suddenly, Chloe felt curious about where next impulses would take her. She even decided that if she felt one again, she would follow it as well.


	8. A hint of Destiny

Chloe knew she should be consequent. So, on Monday afternoon when she felt an irresistible urge to go to the same park, where she had had such a horrible meeting with Jerome a week earlier, she followed that impulse, even though she didn't understand it too much. Perhaps it was a hint of her subconscious. Or maybe… maybe… maybe it was a hint of the Destiny? That was what she thought seeing Jerome sitting on the same bench in the park.

"How did you know it was a letter from my mother?" She asked him frankly, as always. Without any greeting and courtesy small talk.

"She handed it to me." He answered the same way – directly and bluntly.

Chloe seemed to become speechless for the first time in her life. She stared at him stunned, unable to put together a single sentence.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I didn't mean to be so abrupt."

Chloe was still silent. Suddenly, she felt tears in her eyes and she felt panic as well. She didn't want to go to pieces in front of the just-a-messenger…

"Hey, don't cry…" he jumped up from the bench and pulled her closer embracing her tightly.

She should break away and leave standing tall. Instead, she cuddled up to him, and she couldn't stop a sob from her chest. She felt he was stroking her hair. She didn't object. It was so… soothing. Just as listening to his heartbeat.

"She needed to know how you would react to this letter. I was supposed to wait." He replied slowly, and the words melted in her head. They were as soothing as his stroking and his heartbeat. Like a message from her mom. "She was very touched when I told her that you'd left to read her letter in private."

"Wait! Do you want to tell me that you… know my mother?!" she was so surprised that she calmed down immediately.

She looked at him, not even paying attention to the fact that he was still holding her in his arms. Tears slowly dried on her cheeks. One thing was to give a letter to a messenger but sharing own emotions with him was something completely different! Who was her mom for Jerome?

"Uhm… Yes. I know her." He stuttered. "She works for my… uhm… my dad."

"She's here? In Paris?!" she asked emotionally. "Why didn't she call me? Why she's hiding from me?"

"You know, Chloe…" he smiled a little bit embarrassed. "I'm not sure for one hundred percent, but maybe she's ashamed she left you? Or maybe she's afraid that you'll reject her when you meet."

"She rejected me first!" Chloe exclaimed. She couldn't understand why he kept her mother's side.

"No, Chloe. She's probably never stopped regretting that she left and abandoned you."

"How do you know this?" She whispered, surprised.

"I guess only. I can read between the lines. I told you last time that I can observe people. And feel their emotions."

"But you're not Hawkmoth?" She remembered, winking to him.

"I told you once that I wasn't." He laughed.

"And what happened next? You know… When you told my mother that I left."

"I was sorry that I couldn't tell her anything more. But that was enough for her. And then…" he hesitated.

"What was next?" she spotted immediately.

He smiled embarrassed.

"Then she asked me to go to your party."

"So, she hired you to check me?"

"Not quite." He grinned. "I was supposed to be out of the way. Unnoticed. Just to watch you for her. But it didn't work out."

"Yeah, you messed it up." She smiled back.

"I really had to come to you. You see, Chloe. I felt sorry for you. Everyone was having fun at your party, only you were lonely there."

"I don't even like them." She confessed. "I invited them because Adrien had made me."

"But if they started to like you, you probably wouldn't mind?"

"I don't know…" she shrugged. "Maybe?"

"You know, Chloe?" he began, and she smiled do herself.

How many times he had started talking with those words "You know, Chloe…" just to tell her something important, a secret or something very, very personal…

"Yeah, I know." She murmured.

"You don't even know what I wanted to say!" he was surprised.

"I think I know. You wanted to say that I'm cool." She winked at him.

"Not quite, but it doesn't mean you're not cool!" He laughed. "I wanted to say that I was happy that your mother asked me to deliver you the letter."

"You know what? I am also happy that it was you." She replied, feeling that these words are coming from the bottom of her soul.


	9. Mom

Chloe never felt so nervous, like on Friday afternoon. Today she was to meet her mother. She didn't fully understand Jerome's participation in the whole story, but she felt, he had helped in arranging the meeting. It still seemed strange to her that mother chose a messenger to find a way back to her. Chloe had tried to ask Jerome for details several times, but he never answered.

She left the explanation of this riddle for later. Now she had to face her own demons. Because in a moment she was supposed to meet her mother. After years. And in secret from daddy. That was the condition imposed by her mother.

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea…" she muttered to Jerome, wiping her sweaty palms in her blouse.

"You know that your mother said the exact same thing minutes ago?" he smiled. "Let's go. It will be fine."

"How do you know that?" she asked in whisper.

"I have a good feeling. Just smile, it's not a dentist visit." He whispered and touched her cheek.

Chloe lost her sense of time and reality for a moment. She gazed on his dark blue eyes and actually… Actually… Actually, she wouldn't mind if he…

"Come on… I'll lead you there." he smiled and took her hand.

She followed him stunned. What had happened a moment ago? And why did she like it so much? She even forgot her nervousness. Only when he opened the door for her and she saw her mother, the fear of the meeting returned.

Mom was standing by the window. She was wearing an elegant costume – very classic: a black envelope skirt, a white blouse, a fitted jacket. Pure perfection. Her hair was tied up in a bun. Eyes fixed on Chloe – full of tension and expectation.

Chloe felt that Jerome was letting her hand go. As if he wanted to leave her alone with her mother. Instinctively, she squeezed his hand tighter and looked at him pleadingly to stay. He smiled warmly at her and held her hand for a moment.

"It will be fine, remember?" He whispered and winked to her.

Then he left.

Chloe stayed at the door, unable to take a step toward her mother who also stayed by the window completely motionless. They stared at each other and… were silent.

"You're even prettier than in the pictures…" mom finally whispered.

How quiet had to be in this room if Chloe could hear these words, standing so far away from her?

"You've seen my photos?" she finally stuttered.

"You are, after all, the most important teenager in Paris." Audrey explained mildly. "You've appeared on television very often."

"Have you been here in the city all this time?" Chloe asked coldly, feeling a growing rage.

She had had her mother at her fingertips for all these years? Mother, who did nothing to meet her daughter?! It was her fault that Chloe had grown up to be a person who didn't know how to love! Or how to trust anyone!

Mom just nodded.

"Have you ever wanted to meet me at least once?" Chloe drawled, feeling that typhoon of rage would soon find an escape.

"I couldn't…" she stuttered, and a tear ran down her cheek.

"You were ashamed!" Chloe said without mercy.

"Yes… But that's not…" Audrey hesitated and shook her head.

"What then?!" Her daughter demanded more and more aggressively.

"I wasn't allowed!" mom shouted in despair.

"What?" all anger escaped from Chloe straight away. It wasn't the first time since her birthday party when her bad emotions disappeared in a second.

"That was the price for the freedom." mom whispered and burst into tears.

Chloe stood undecided at the door. Something in her heart woke up and started pushing her to go to her mother, just to hug her. And that Something drowned out the remnants of this rage accumulated over the years, so well hidden under the guise of being a "happy daddy's girl", and recently awakened by the unexpected appearance of her mother in her life. And by Jerome.

She took the first step reluctantly, and then the second one. And then it was easy. She ran to her mother and embraced her. And mom hugged her and let Chloe comfort her.


	10. A talented boy

"So? Feel better now?" Jerome asked.

Chloe looked at him with a smile. He'd been waiting for her for a good few hours, because after breaking the ice, mother and she couldn't stop talking. Yet, when Chloe left the room, Jerome was still sitting patiently in the corridor and just waited for her.

"Better." she smiled. "But there is still a long way to go."

"So, I'm not asking for details."

"You can ask. Although… I have to think about it all. I'm so confused…"

"Can I walk you home? You will ventilate your head instead of sitting in the car stuck in traffic jams."

"You know what? This is quite a good idea…" she smiled.

"So, let's go." He said, taking her hand. And she didn't object.

They walked in silence. Hand in hand. But Chloe didn't think about it. She was thinking of what her mom had told her, especially about her father. Her dearest, wonderful daddy, who would give her the whole world – except her mother. He was the one who had forbidden his mother to contact Chloe. How was it possible that papa was such a vengeful man? It was difficult for Chloe to accept it. On the other hand, however, she finally understood the condition for keeping this meeting in secret.

She also asked mother about Jerome. Why she trusted him so much to ask him to deliver the letter to Chloe. Mom smiled slightly and said warmly:

"You _do_ like this boy, don't you?"

Chloe blushed, so there was no point in denying it.

"Jerome is a good boy." Mom added still smiling. "His dad raised him well."

"Mom… Are you and Jerome's dad…?" Chloe hesitated because she couldn't finish the question.

"No, honey!" Mom laughed, not minding this question. "We're not together. This is just my good friend. I didn't leave your father to get involved in a similar relationship. Besides, Jerome has both parents. And they still love each other."

"But you praise him so much."

"Because he's a wise father." Mother repeated. "He did what neither I nor your father could do. He said that if his son would take over his company one day, he must gain respect for work and people. That's why he told him to work. _We_ treated you like a princess because we wanted the best for you. Now I'm not sure but I think we've hurt you…"

"A company?" Chloe spotted. "Mom, who is Jerome's father?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"I didn't ask."

"Then ask. I can't tell you anything more that he is a good father."

Chloe sighed. She still didn't know anything about this mysterious boy, who had already soaked in her life, in her thoughts, in her heart. How was it possible?

"Overwhelming, huh?" Jerome asked, looking sideways at her.

She raised her head and glanced at him. She was coming back to reality.

"Who is your dad?" she asked. As usual, frankly and bluntly.

This time he looked as if he became speechless.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I shouldn't…"

"No, it's okay…" he stammered. "Your mom didn't tell you?"

Chloe shook her head.

"Did you ask her?" He asked, and seeing her confusion, he smiled broadly as if a thought had occurred to him.

"Yes." she answered quietly.

"So, it's interesting to you?"

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Never! I was just wondering…"

"On what?"

"Could Chloe Bourgeois be interested in just-a-dispatch-runner?" He asked, embracing her.

"Are you going to remind me of it for the rest of my life?" she winced.

"If you give me a chance, it can be for the rest of my life." he smiled and still gazing on her eyes, he leaned in to kiss her. And then she heard his question: "You know, Chloe?"

"Now?" she groaned with irritation. "Really _now_?"

"You need to know something. I'm not just a dispatch runner. You must know that…" he hesitated.

"Just say it!"

"My dad is Maurice Delacroix…"

Chloe froze. Tycoon in the financial industry. That much she knew. His name kept going through daddy's conversations…

"Then why are you a messenger?" She whispered, bewildered.

"To get respect for work, money and people." He replied, and she remembered that her mother had told her the same.

"So, you played games with me?"

"What? Never, Chloe!" he denied immediately and the added: "I mean, I've heard about you before, that you're a mean and spoiled girl."

"Thanks!" she snorted offended and wanted to move back, but he still embraced her.

"And then I delivered you a letter. And I saw the real you. And… I fell in love with you, Chloe."

Chloe needed a moment to think over all this information. In the end, however, she smiled and said:

"You're unbearable. Now, will you finally kiss me?"

"Be careful what you ask for. Because I can never stop."

"Good." She replied in her style, and he laughed in response and finally kissed her.

And Chloe, the expert of many areas of her life – not to say: almost all of them – had to admit again that Jerome was quite a talented boy.

THE END :-)


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